The return of this very popular project which is connected to our Chernobyl project. and we couldn’t be happier. Please message us BEFORE STARTING so we can allocate you a child and their unique admin number. Even if you took part last year, please do read the instructions, they are absolutely vital to making this work. Last posting will be Monday 20th September which will be here before we know it. We need to get them to Elizabeth by early October.
We have fifty stockings to fulfil and are hoping that with your love and support we can get all 50 filled. Please message us and we will give you the information for your recipient. If we don’t have it yet, we will ask you to wait until we can get back to you. We hope this won’t be too long. We have already got half of them. Once all 50 recipients are allocated we will see if we can get any more and will take a waiting list. We will need to ask for a donation of £3 per stocking to help transport them over. In previous years they have been taken back when the children visited the UK and of course that isn’t happening this year.
The age range we have seen so far is 4 – 16 years, boys and girls and we’d like to allocate these
Elizabeth Parker (Mid Suffolk Chernobyl Children’s Life line link and Senior Trustee of the Chernobyl Children’s Lifeline) couriers the stockings over and then deliver in person around the time of Orthodox Christmas. These stockings go to very sick children in hospitals and also to the schools and homes of incredibly disadvantaged children. Their aim is to give the children a real Christmas present and those they give to have most likely never received a Christmas present before. It is very important to note this is absolutely not one of those shoe box appeals, so these stockings do not include functional toothpaste/brush type items, and there are no strings attached. It is just a wonderful thing to be able to do for some of the most disavanted and sick children.
Here’s how to help…
- Whether it is home made or shop bought, stockings need to be as close to 18cm by 40cm (approx 7” x 16) which seems to be average standard size of shop bought ones.
- The stockings can contain anything that would be considered a Christmas present but for this project, no utility items such as toothbrushes etc.
- No liquids, toy guns, or other toy weapons. No sweets. They take sweets and give them out at the time.
- VERY IMPORTANT – Completed stockings ( inc the stocking itself) MUST weigh no more than 650 grams please and need to be able to lie as flat as possible for travelling purposes.
- Reiterating the 650g weight limit!
- The gifts inside the stockings must not be wrapped in Christmas paper as this makes it easier if they are stopped at customs.
- When you send please pop your filled stockings in a plastic carrier bag with a list of the contents jotted down on a bit of paper and the weight in grammes. Include your child’s allocated number, this is vital.
- Please enclose your £3 transportation donation in your parcel, but not in the stocking! Cash is fine, we can gather it up and pay it all in.
Our Paypal address is admin@woollyhugs.com.(Please note we have TWO Ls in woolly – folk get caught every time!) or We are a Cooperative business account in the name of Woolly Hugs •Account number: 65579631 •Sort code: 089299
What to put in to a stocking…
These are only suggestions and the age range we are covering is huge, so relevant to your child please.
- A small soft toy
- Small ornaments (all children love dogs and cats)
- A “Barbie” or Action Man type Doll
- temporary tattoos
- lip balm, flavoured chapsticks
- Magic Gloves
- Hair slides, bobble, elastics etc for girls, colourful, sparkly items are really liked.
- Girls love all things pink and “blingy” !
- Wrist bands for boys
- Fridge Magnets are a big favourite
- Small logic puzzles, i.e. the ones we use to get where you had to roll a few small balls around and get
them in the right place. - Spinner toys
- Bracelets and necklaces for girls
- Small cars or other models
- Small windup toys
- Marbles – quite heavy but a few would be ok and the children really love them
- Stickers – all the children seem to collect these
- Yo yo
- Harmonica
- Funny socks and slipper socks are liked very much, particularly if they are “Character “ones.
- Warm tights for girls – they like bright colours
- Small notebook – pretty ones for girls
- Pens, pencils – biros should be blue not black please
- colouring pencils
- Small coin purses
- Pretty notebooks
- Pencil case
- Any toys with LED lights – particularly the stretchy/squishy ones
- Folding shopping bags (older girls)
- Keyrings
- Slipper socks
For the older age groups
- Socks, lacy trainer liners v popular
- Hats
- Gloves
- Wristbands/ fashion straps (boys and girls)
- Pens and Pencil Sets (adult type)
- Pencil case – Rubber and metal pencil sharpner
- Folding rulers (very useful and fits in the pencil case)
- Highlighter pen
- Coloured Pencils (but can be heavy)
- Watch/low cost “Fit” watch
- Slipper socks
- Folding shopping bags
- Keyrings
- Lip Balm
- Small Eye Shadow Palettes
- Small purse
- Rubik Cube or Similar
- Logic Puzzles
- LED Clip on light
- LED lightweight torch
- Small kits such as science/solar/engineering
- Water colour “hard” paints and brush
